In plain words
Graduated compression stockings are fitted garments that press more firmly at the ankle and less firmly higher up the leg. The pressure helps blood flow back toward the heart. Pregnancy can slow that flow, and swelling and varicose veins are common in the legs. People often describe the stockings as tight at first and then a relief by evening. Clinicians fit them to the leg, because the wrong size may not work well. They are discussed for long trips and for leg swelling or aching. They do not remove varicose veins. They ease symptoms for many people while the body adjusts. A clinician can explain the choices and the fit.
The deeper version
Graduated compression stockings apply a pressure gradient, highest at the ankle and decreasing up the leg, with ratings set by manufacturer and national standards. Use in pregnancy follows guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on prevention (Green-top Guideline 37a, 2015) and from ACOG on thromboembolism in pregnancy (Practice Bulletin 196, 2018). For varicose veins, obstetric and vascular guidance describes conservative measures such as leg elevation and walking. Definitive treatment is generally deferred until after delivery, once the veins have had time to regress. Evidence that stockings reduce symptoms is small and drawn from heterogeneous studies. Whether they reduce venous thromboembolism in pregnancy is debated.
Where it comes up
- Varicose veins and leg crampsPregnancy: Your Body
- Travel during pregnancyPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Swelling: feet, ankles, hands, facePregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about graduated compression stockings
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Sources
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists — Green-top Guideline 37a: Prevention of venous thromboembolism in pregnancy (2015)
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Practice Bulletin 196: Thromboembolism in pregnancy (2018)